Rail-bond for electric railways.



No. 722,991. PATBNTE-D MAR. 17, 1903. T. KERR.

RAIL BOND FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1901.

.NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

THOMAS KERR, OF LONDON, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE R. KERR, OF LONDON, CANADA, AND WILLIAM WV. KERR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-BOND FOR ELECTRIC RA ILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,991, dated March 17, 1903.

application filed August 5,1901. Serial No. 70,852. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern: one end of said wire 5 is folded at 5 over the Be it known that I, THOMAS KERR, a subflange (1 of the rail and inserted in a recessf ject of the King of Great Britain, and a resiin the coupling 3, and between the latter and den of the ci y of Lon on, in he c un y of the web 6 of the rail and the other end of the 5 Middlesex, in the Province of Ontario, Canbending-wire 5 is also :folded at 5 over the ada, have invented a new and useful Railflange d on the opposite side of the adjacent Bond for Electric Railways, of which the fol rail and is inserted in a recessfin the couplowing is a specification. ling 3 between the latter and the web 6 of the This invention relates to a device for bondrail.

[0 ing the rails together electrically, so that the In the accompanying drawings, particularly electrical current will pass from one rail to in Fig. 3, clamping-bolts 6 6 are shown sethe other; and this invention consists of the curing the coupling 3 to the rails 1 and 2, and improved construction and novel combination about four are usually employed for this pur of parts, as will be hereinafter first fully set pose; but they may be secured together in I5 forth and described and then pointed out in any manner or by any means found most the C aims. suitable or convenient, and elongated bolt- Reference being had to the accompanying holes (not shown) are preferably formed in drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the coupling 3 to allow for expansion d my improved electrical bond adjusted in potraction.

2o sition for electrically bonding the adjacent \Vhen placed in proper position, the bondends of two rails together. In this view the ing-wire rests in the groove 4 of the base 0, bolts or other securing devices used to secure and the upright portions of the sections a b the coupling to the rails are not shown. Fig. of the coupling 3 rest against the opposite 2 is a detail perspective view of the electrical sides 0f the ends of the adjacent rails, and

25 bondingwire. In this view the rails are the base 0 projects under the ends of the shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an end view adjacent rails, and when the ends of thebondof Fig. 1. In this view the electrical bonding wire ar folded and inserted in the reing-wire is removed. Fig. 4 is a detail per- 'cesses f the whole is firmly clamped and spective view of the coupling, showing the rigidly secured together by the bolts 6 6 or 0 two sections into which it is divided slightly other suitable securing devices.

separated and the upright portion of one When arranged and secured together as section cut away. described, the bondingwire 5, which is In the accompanying drawings the numerslightly larger in cross section than the als l and 2 designate a portion of two rails grooves or recesses iand f, respectively, and

35 the ends of which are adjacent to one another, which extends diagonallyacross the line of and d designates the'flanges, and e the webs, the rails, will extend across their abutting of said rails. ends centrally of the line of rails, and when The numeral 3 designates the raihcoupling, the clamping-bolts 6 are firmly tightened the formed in two sections a b and with a base 0, effect will be to clamp and tightly bind the c 40 and in each of the vertical portions of said coupling 3 and rails 1 and 2 together. This coupling 3 a recessfis formed for the purwill firmly clamp the ends of the bondingpose which will be hereinafter set forth. wirej5 against the webs e of the adjacent rails,

The numeral 4 designates a groove formed and the drawing of the sections a b of the in and extending diagonally across the base coupling together when tighteningthe clamp 5 c of said coupling 3, and said coupling is prefing-bolts 6 6 will compress the adjacent faces erably divided into two sectionsab,diagonally of the sections a b of the couplings 3 together across said base and in line centrally through at the groove 4. This will firmly clamp and the groove 4. compress the bonding-wire 5 against the un- 5 designates a bonding wire preferably der side of the rails, so that the bonding- 50 formed of copper, which wire rests in the wire 5 being firmly held against the under groove 4 in the base 0 of the coupling 3, and side of the ends of the adjacent rails and being bent around the flanges d and the ends firmly held against the webs e of the adjacent rails ayery efficient electrical bond is provided and one the greater portion of which will be concealed, and thereby very difficult to surreptitiously remove or tamper with them in any way, and one all accidental displacement of which to render the bond ineffective will be avoided and completely prevented.

I have found by experiment that the construction herein shown and described gives the best results. At the same time, while I prefer said construction, I do not wish to limit myself to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my inventiom For instance, the end portions of the bonding-wire5 instead of being folded and clamped between the coupling 3 and web a of the rail the ends of said bonding-wire may be firmly held in sockets formed in the rail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of the class described, an electrical bonding-Wire, in combination with, extending diagonally across the line of, and across the adjacent ends of the rails of an electrical railway, and one endof said bonding-wire folded over the flange of and abutting against the Web, at one side of one of said rails, and the other end of said bondingwire folded over the flange of and abutting against the web at the opposite side of the adjacent rail, and means for holding the rails together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, an electrical bonding-wire, in combination with, extending diagonally across the line of and across the adjacent ends of the rails olan electrical railway, and a coupling consisting of a base and two upright portions, and divided into two sections by dividing the base diagonally across the line of the rails,a groove formed in the base of said coupling diagonally across the line of said rails, and means for firmly holding them together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, an electrical bonding-wire, in combination with, extending diagonally across the line of, and across the adjacent ends of the rails of an electrical railway, and one end of said bonding-wire folded over the flange of and abutting against the web at one side of one of said rails, and the other end of said bondingwire folded over the flange of and abutting against the Web at the opposite side of the adjacent rail, and a coupling consisting of a base and two upright portions, and divided into two sections by dividing the base diagonally across the line of the rails, a groove formed in the base of said coupling diagonally across the line of the rails, and a recess formed in each of the upright portions of said coupling to receive the bonding-wire, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

TI-IOS. KERR. Vv'itn esses:

P. J. EDMUNDS, H. B. SMITH. 

